RAHAB THE PROSTITUTE

Do you ever feel you are not worthy or righteous enough to be blessed by God? I know I do. I feel like I am 'less than' those who think they are so great, righteous, wonderful, perfect.............and make sure everyone knows they are such. Because some see themselves as such they believe they are being blessed by God with eternal life. Maybe it's just my perception of such people but often when I am around them I get the very strong impression that they think they are better than...........and because they are God is very pleased with them.

This type of person is called a Pharisee. The Pharisees were the religious leaders in Jesus' day. They had a set of rules by which they judged whether someone else was righteous and blessed by God or who was a sinner and cursed by God. Even though we don't necessarily call people by the name 'Pharisee' today, we still have them around and they are still passing judgment on others. They judge others on whether or not they work righteous work for God and either accept or condemn them according to that work.

It is interesting to me that the harshest criticism Jesus gave was directed toward the Pharisees. In one place Jesus even told them the tax collectors and whores would get into heaven before they would. Why would Jesus say something like this to people who seemed to be doing all the right things and 'had it all together'? Could it be because they were only seeing what a person does and not what is in their hearts? Could it be their righteousness was self righteousness and not the righteousness given as a gift from God when we trust Him? Were they trusting themselves and since they were so good thought didn't really need God at all?

This bring me to Rahab the Harlot (the word for whore or prostitute in the Bible). Her story is found in the Old Testament book of Joshua in the 2nd chapter if you are interested in the details.

How many of us would be willing to say that God could be pleased with a hooker? Yet, in the book of Hebrews, chapter 11, in the New Testament that is exactly what is written. God was pleased with Rahab the Prostitute, not because she was a prostitute but because she had faith in Him. But many, it would seem, think that she must have been lost and condemned because she was a prostitute. After all, she wasn't actually doing the 'work' of a Godly person.

I wonder what would happen if that incident Rahab was involved in took place today?

How do we judge people? Is it on their looks, actions, track record or whether or not they are doing a good Christian work according to our standards?   Are these outward appearances what we  use to judge whether someone else is really a Christian? Have we been appointed by God to be 'the' supervisor making sure everyone does what they are supposed to?


What is really REALLY interesting to me is that God uses Rahab as an example of working faith. Abraham, yes, I can understand that. Abraham was the main character, the father so to speak of our faith. But Rahab
the WHORE?


I can see it now. We have our nice little church sitting on the corner in our nice little clean town filled with our nice little good Christians then Rahab the whore moves in next door! She starts entertaining men who came from out of town. The supervisor elders in the church are in an uproar. The church tries to convert her, make her change her ways, but that doesn't work. Since she isn't cooperating they have a church meeting to devise some method of getting rid of her since she is tainting their nice little church.


They decide that since they can't get her to change maybe if they threaten her she will at least get rid of the men who are staying with her. So they go with prayer book arsenal in hand to get rid of the men.
She sees them coming and hides the men on her roof. The supervisors asks where the men are and she lies to them and tells them they left. She even tells them to hurry in their pursuit of them because they didn't leave very long ago.


After the supervisors leave she sneaks the men out and tells them what to do to avoid being found by the supervisors because she knew in her heart that what the men had told her was true about their God.

Now, honestly, how many Christians today would have judged Rahab as being a lost sinner?


She would have been condemned for:


1. She was a WHORE!
2. She confirmed that she was a whore by having two men staying with
her.
3. She lied about them being there.


BUT YET GOD USES HER AS AN EXAMPLE OF WORKING FAITH!!!!!!


Most people use the "works" issue to judge whether or not someone is a 'good' Christian. And this is always according to their standards.


So in this example who would be the 'sinner'? Rahab or the raging people who tried to get rid of the men staying with her?


Just something to think about when we get so bent out of shape because someone else isn't doing what 'we' think is good Christian 'work'. God sees the heart, we only see the actions and judge another according to those actions. Rahab was a prostitute but placed her trust in God and received the gift of righteousness. God blessed her by saving her and her family even though, I'm sure, she felt unworthy of His blessings. If God did that for unworthy Rahab because she trusted Him, will He do less for me or for you? Rahab was righteous for one reason and one reason only. She trusted God and He gave her the gift of righteousness and it is the same for us.

( KJV) For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the 'gift of righteousness' shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)